DBT Group Therapy

Hi @hakuna_matata and welcome

I have BPD and can understand the challenges that come with it. I haven't done DBT as yet though but I have heard from some that doing it twice can be beneficial.

Perhaps @Sans911 @BlueBay @Snowie @Zoe7 could be of assistance here though.

Edit- hadn't realised parts were jumbled sorry. New phone issues.

@hakuna_matata Welcome to the forum

I have been doing DBT for over a year now and am currently on my second round of modules. I can highly recommend doing it twice. It took me a few months to get into it as I was still quite unwell but I stuck it out and have gotten more out of it the second time around. I also found I was doing things I hadn't realised - some of which I had always done and some I had a greater focus on because of the course - but putting a name to things and that weekly focus on specific skills really helped. I have been part of a very supportive group also and that has made a lot of difference.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on what you have already undertaken and what you think you could also get out of doing it again.

@Zoe7 Thank you so much for your response!

That is so great to hear. Part of me felt like doing another group knowing it'll be similar content could just be a waste of time, and as much as I have days where I'm saying am I just going to be stuck in therapy forever and never get better, I genuinely feel that doing another round is the right thing for me.

The group I am about to finish was 2 hours a week for 20 weeks, which was broken up by a few public holidays and a Christmas break. I have also been seeing one of the faciliators individually throughout the duration of the group. Whilst I believe I have benefited from this experience, I also found myself hearing others in the group saying how lifechanging and groundbreaking it has been for them and me feeling completely lost still. I also find that whilst my individual has been good for when I have had a specific crisis that on my better days it feels just awkward and I feel they don't prompt me enough or have guidance on what to focus on.

Moving forward I am interested in doing a more intense/thorough group which is why I think it will be beneficial as in this group there was always a sense of will we actually cover all the content. There are a couple I'm looking at that are about 40 weeks with 5 hours a week. I also now feel more confident in the group environment and am in a better headspace than I was previously which I think would allow me to participate in a group that is more strict on homework and encourages more sharing and discussion as we had to often cut the discussion short being aware of how much content there was in such a short time.

Initially I was very much in the mindset of group therapy is not for me because I didn't even like going for indvidual and I think having done this group I now have more confidence in group therapy being able to help me. The other downside to the 20 weeks was how long it took me to settle in to such a new scary environment which made me struggle to take in a lot of the earlier content. Having said that I am so glad I gave the group therapy a go.

It is not unusual to find it hard in the group context to begin with let alone take any of the content in @hakuna_matata My course is divided into modules strictly as they are presented by Linehan - so 2 hours a week/9 weeks per module with a week off in between each module - 40 weeks altogether. As I said - the first couple of modules I did not want to be there either and did not take much in. I see my pdoc after each session for the individual therapy - the facilitator sends through to her anything that has happened in the group or anything that has been a concern as well as an update of what is covered - so it is very much a team around me for DBT. After the initial months of not wanting to be there I began to feel more comfortable with the group and could actually do the check in and occasionally contribute - now I am much more comfortable and it does help that we have had a stable group for a couple of modules so we all know each other pretty well. I think the group dynamics very much influence how successful DBT is - but you also have to put in the work as well.

I would highly recommend doing the course again if you are still feeling that you need it - it is only really when you use the skills as part of your everyday life that you have truly taken it all in and that can take doing the course a couple of times. The 40 weeks.5 hours a week sound like it could be quite intense but if that is what you feel you need I say go for it.

@Zoe7 Thank you again for your response, I really appreciate you taking the time!

You're right, 5 hours a week does sound quite intense and honestly intimidating. That just seems to be what's on offer where I live, and at the end of the day I do think I will really benefit from both a longer course, not having to rush the modules, and a bit of a step up in regards to not letting us slack off on homework. I feel that maybe the more strict structure may be that extra nudge I need to help me get to a place where I can use DBT in my everyday life without difficulty.

I agree about the group influencing the results. We all got contracts saying we had to be at every session but that was rarely the case. I think I was the only one who attended every session and when we checked last week there was only 1 out of 20 sessions that the whole group attended.

I think I am doing my best in regards to putting in effort on my end, but having rushed through the content so much I feel I do not always have as much of a grasp on everything as I would like to or that I believe would be beneficial.

It definitely sounds like the longer course may be of benefit to you @hakuna_matata In the earlier days of my course there were a couple of people that 'took over' the initial sharing time and that often meant we had to rush through the content as well but once they left the group it became much more spread out and easier to get through it all.

I will be finishing up after the next module as I will have done each module twice. It is on my day off from work and it is more important for me now to have a rest in the middle of the week. I can always go back to the group later if I feel I need it again so that is good to know but for now I think I have gotten as much out of it as I can for the time being. Each week I feel like I have already done that and are implementing the strategies in my daily life so it is a good time to finish up soon.

Keep me updated in what you decide and what course you get into. Happy to discuss content with you as well if you need an extra outlet for that.

Gosh I know that feeling too well! I often want to speak up but can't find a voice over them.

Good on you, hope you're feeling proud of yourself! Sounds like it's served you well if you're able to implement it in your daily life. Definitely understand the need for rest! My work roster is all over the place and sometimes only get 1 day off, and I do not want to tell my work of my mental illness so just try to suck it up. Just picked up some more hours so working on finding a balance that works for me.

Thank you @Zoe7 for all your support, much appreciated and hopefully will be updating you with some good group news in the near future!

Balance is so important in all aspects of our lives @hakuna_matata It takes a lot of mental energy to deal with mental illness and that can take a toll on us physically also.

I am back to work after a couple of years away and it has been tiring. I have just begun to feel I am getting on top of work a bit but having the Wednesday off is crucial for me also. Time to ourselves is so important. I basically lived to work and now I work to live - there is such a difference in how I approach work now. I have less responsibilities in the new school I am at though so that has really helped me to settle back in. I am enjoying my job again also so that helps.